For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
بے خودی میں گزری ہے ۔ آنند موہن گلزارؔ دہلوی
۱
عمر جو بے خودی میں گزری ہے
بس وہی آگہی میں گزری ہے
۲
کوئی موجِ نسیم سے پوچھے
کیسی آوارگی میں گزری ہے
۳
اُن کی بھی رہ سکی نہ دارآئی
جن کی اسکندری میں گزری ہے
۴
آسرا اُن کی رہبری ٹھہری
جن کی خود رہزنی میں گزری ہے
۵
آس کے جگنوؤ سدا کس کی
زندگی روشنی میں گزری ہے
۶
ہم نشینی پہ فخر کر ناداں
صحبت آدمی میں گزری ہے
۷
یوں تو شاعر بہت سے گزرے ہیں
اپنی بھی شاعری میں گزری ہے
۸
میرؔ کے بعد غالبؔ و اقبالؔ
اک صدا، اک صدی میں گزری ہے
बे-ख़ुदी में गुज़्री है – आनंद मोहन गुल्ज़ार देहलवी
१
उम्र जो बे-ख़ुदी में गुज़्री है
बस वही आगही में गुज़्री है
२
कोई मौज-ए नसीम से पूछे
कैसी आवारगी में गुज़्री है
३
उन की भी रह सकी न दाराई
जिन की अस्कंदरी में गुज़्री है
४
आस्रा उन की रहबरी ठहरी
जिन की ख़ुद रहज़नी में गुज़्री है
५
आस के जुगनुओ सदा किस की
ज़िंदगी रौशनी में गुज़्री है
६
हम-नशीनी पे फ़ख़्र कर नादाँ
सोहबत-ए आदमी में गुज़्री है
७
यूँ तो शा’एर बहुत से गुज़्रे हैं
अपनी भी शायरी में गुज़्री है
८
मीर के बाद ग़ालिब ओ एक़्बाल
एक सदा, एक सदी में गुज़्री है
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. anand mohan gulzar dehlavi (1926-2020), a kashmiri panDit, a scholar and lover of urdu and totally committed to communal harmony. Over his long and fruitful life has written with much love and admiration about many illustrious figures – political, religious and literary. This is part of a series of Ghazal with the radeef “guzri hai” collected under that icon in ‘radeef-refrain’
1
umr1 jo be-Khudi2 meN guzri3 hai
bas vahi aagahi4 meN guzri hai 1.life, portion of life 2.trance 3.passed 4.knowledge, wisdom
‘be-Khudi’/trance here implies sufiyaana trance, losing oneself in the universal spirit. Thus, that portion of life that is spent in such a state is the only part of life that can be considered wise/good i.e., wisdom/goodness lies in merging oneself into the great spirit.
2
koi mauj1-e nasiim2 se poochhe
kaisi aavaaragi3 meN guzri hai 1.wave, gusts 2.morning breeze 3.wandering
Poetic convention is that the morning breeze blows gently into every garde and wakes up flower buds, making them bloom. This is also thought of as wandering in search of fragrance. Thus, the picture here is that of the breeze wandering from here to there collecting fragrance from garden to garden. Thus, ask the morning breeze what it is like to spend its life wandering in search of what it seeks.
3
un ki bhi rah saki na daaraaii1
jin ki askandari2 meN guzri hai 1.derived from daara/Darius to mean absolute power 2.derived from sikandar/Alexander to mean war and conquest
Even those who spent their lifetime waging war and conquering could not maintain their power for long. This is supposed to be a lesson for those in power that their time will also come.
4
aasraa1 un ki rahbari2 Thahri
jin ki Khud rahzani3 meN guzri hai 1.support, dependence 2.guidance, leadership 3.robbery
It is a sad state of affairs that we depend on those who have spent their lifetime in robbery/expropriation for guidance and leadership.
5
aas1 ke jugnuo sadaa2 kis ki
zindagi raushni meN guzri hai 1.hope 2.always
Hope shines/sparkles in the heart. Hope is addressed as ‘aas ke jugnu’ – fireflies that glow but momentarily. Nobody spends their entire life in brightness/happiness. Sometime or the other they face disappointments/sorrow.
6
ham-nashiini1 pe faKhr2 kar naadaaN3
sohbat4-e aadmi meN guzri hai 1.friendship 2.pride 3.simpleton 4.companionship
O simpleton, be proud of friendship (value it) for that time is spent in human company.
7
yuN to shaa’er bahut se guzre haiN
apni bhi shaa’eri meN guzri hai There have been many poets who have passed their lives writing/composing. I too have spent my life composing. The implication is that while there have been many poets, I am different/better/unique.
8
miir ke b’aad Ghaalib o iqbaal
ek sadaa1, ek sadi2 meN guzri hai 1.sound, call, voice 2.century, hundred years
The voice of the likes of mir taqi mir, Ghalib and iqbal can only be heard once in a hundred years. Is there an implication that now it is his turn!
anand mohan gulzar dehlavi (1926-2020), a kashmiri panDit, a scholar and lover of urdu and totally committed to communal harmony. Over his long and fruitful life has written with much love and admiration about many illustrious figures – political, religious and literary. This is part of a series of Ghazal with the radeef “guzri hai” collected under that icon in ‘radeef-refrain’
1
umr1 jo be-Khudi2 meN guzri3 hai
bas vahi aagahi4 meN guzri hai
1.life, portion of life 2.trance 3.passed 4.knowledge, wisdom
‘be-Khudi’/trance here implies sufiyaana trance, losing oneself in the universal spirit. Thus, that portion of life that is spent in such a state is the only part of life that can be considered wise/good i.e., wisdom/goodness lies in merging oneself into the great spirit.
2
koi mauj1-e nasiim2 se poochhe
kaisi aavaaragi3 meN guzri hai
1.wave, gusts 2.morning breeze 3.wandering
Poetic convention is that the morning breeze blows gently into every garde and wakes up flower buds, making them bloom. This is also thought of as wandering in search of fragrance. Thus, the picture here is that of the breeze wandering from here to there collecting fragrance from garden to garden. Thus, ask the morning breeze what it is like to spend its life wandering in search of what it seeks.
3
un ki bhi rah saki na daaraaii1
jin ki askandari2 meN guzri hai
1.derived from daara/Darius to mean absolute power 2.derived from sikandar/Alexander to mean war and conquest
Even those who spent their lifetime waging war and conquering could not maintain their power for long. This is supposed to be a lesson for those in power that their time will also come.
4
aasraa1 un ki rahbari2 Thahri
jin ki Khud rahzani3 meN guzri hai
1.support, dependence 2.guidance, leadership 3.robbery
It is a sad state of affairs that we depend on those who have spent their lifetime in robbery/expropriation for guidance and leadership.
5
aas1 ke jugnuo sadaa2 kis ki
zindagi raushni meN guzri hai
1.hope 2.always
Hope shines/sparkles in the heart. Hope is addressed as ‘aas ke jugnu’ – fireflies that glow but momentarily. Nobody spends their entire life in brightness/happiness. Sometime or the other they face disappointments/sorrow.
6
ham-nashiini1 pe faKhr2 kar naadaaN3
sohbat4-e aadmi meN guzri hai
1.friendship 2.pride 3.simpleton 4.companionship
O simpleton, be proud of friendship (value it) for that time is spent in human company.
7
yuN to shaa’er bahut se guzre haiN
apni bhi shaa’eri meN guzri hai
There have been many poets who have passed their lives writing/composing. I too have spent my life composing. The implication is that while there have been many poets, I am different/better/unique.
8
miir ke b’aad Ghaalib o iqbaal
ek sadaa1, ek sadi2 meN guzri hai
1.sound, call, voice 2.century, hundred years
The voice of the likes of mir taqi mir, Ghalib and iqbal can only be heard once in a hundred years. Is there an implication that now it is his turn!
